place. I’ll sift short lengths. You move ahead and let me know it’s safe.”
And so we traveled along the base of the mountain. I’d sift as far as I could see, perhaps fifty yards at a time. No encounters with damned souls or demons.
Not until we started moving up the mountainside.
Upon the third sift to a mountain ledge, I saw the flickering of flame throwing long shadows on a cavern wall. I peered around the cliff’s edge where I’d landed to see an open space. Five demons in black tunics sat around a fire roasting a leg of something on a spit. The rancid smell made my stomach churn and bile rise in my throat.
“This one’ll be tasty,” slurred a six-horned demon, ripping a piece of flesh from the roasting meat.
“Wait your turn!” A bigger one clawed his forearm.
That was enough for me. I caught sight of Mira circling another cliff’s edge high above. This would be a long sift, but I needed to get out of there fast.
“Do you smell that?” grunted Six-horn, sniffing the air in my direction.
With that, I sifted out and up, up, up, landing in a crouch with my katana drawn and ready. Thankfully, Mira had scouted a safe spot behind a boulder. Crouching down, I peeked around the rock, finally able to get a good look at the fortress I’d seen from far below.
Like something out of a medieval textbook, more like a medieval horror story, the fortress wasn’t a separate structure but carved into the mountainside, all sharp angles, iron gates and barred windows. But it wasn’t the sight of the place that struck terror in my soul and shot ice through my veins. It was the screams emanating from within its walls. Even more, the beacon of Jude’s signature burned strong and true. He was inside that ghastly place.
Two horned demons in matching black tunics stood outside the arched entrance. Just as I wondered who the hell would be trying to break in, besides me, a shrieking woman tore through the open gate past the guards. One of the guards lifted a bow and notched an arrow from a quiver at his back. The other grunted something with a wave of the hand and pulled a weapon from his belt—links of barbed chain. He flung them through the air with frightening speed. The chains wrapped her legs at the knees, tripping her to the ground. The one who’d caught her grunted something unintelligible. Grabbing her by the hair, he dragged her back toward the fortress.
My gut clenched at her wailing cries as she flailed and kicked. Like an insect trying to wrestle a lion, it did her no good. Only annoyed the lion. She must’ve clawed his arm, because he dropped her suddenly, then rounded and cuffed her hard across the face. Silent and limp, she made no struggle when he again gripped her by the hair and disappeared through the gates.
“My God,” I whispered to Mira on my shoulder, nuzzling close to my hood. I couldn’t form a coherent thought that expressed the heartsickness and despair seeping into my bones. The guards weren’t to keep people out, but to keep them in.
This was hell. This fortress of pain, reeking of malice and torture. Now I knew why damned souls might prefer Lethe. Better a land of forgetfulness than a land where evil thrived, eager to inflict pain for eternity.
These demons weren’t like Garzel, the one who was taken by the soul collector, Acheron. He’d been taken as a punishment for his misdeeds. The demons I’d encountered capturing that teenager in the forest, the ones on the cliff, and the ones guarding this gate were uniformed. They held allegiance for this “master” the boy spoke of. The master ruling such a place with so many at his disposal must be a powerful being. A high demon.
I licked my dry lips, thinking of the best course of action.
“I need a distraction.” Mira clicked once with her beak and opened her wings. “Yes, but wait,” I hissed in a whisper. “He has arrows. Be careful and fly high.”
I straightened to prepare myself for the fastest run I’d ever made in
And so we traveled along the base of the mountain. I’d sift as far as I could see, perhaps fifty yards at a time. No encounters with damned souls or demons.
Not until we started moving up the mountainside.
Upon the third sift to a mountain ledge, I saw the flickering of flame throwing long shadows on a cavern wall. I peered around the cliff’s edge where I’d landed to see an open space. Five demons in black tunics sat around a fire roasting a leg of something on a spit. The rancid smell made my stomach churn and bile rise in my throat.
“This one’ll be tasty,” slurred a six-horned demon, ripping a piece of flesh from the roasting meat.
“Wait your turn!” A bigger one clawed his forearm.
That was enough for me. I caught sight of Mira circling another cliff’s edge high above. This would be a long sift, but I needed to get out of there fast.
“Do you smell that?” grunted Six-horn, sniffing the air in my direction.
With that, I sifted out and up, up, up, landing in a crouch with my katana drawn and ready. Thankfully, Mira had scouted a safe spot behind a boulder. Crouching down, I peeked around the rock, finally able to get a good look at the fortress I’d seen from far below.
Like something out of a medieval textbook, more like a medieval horror story, the fortress wasn’t a separate structure but carved into the mountainside, all sharp angles, iron gates and barred windows. But it wasn’t the sight of the place that struck terror in my soul and shot ice through my veins. It was the screams emanating from within its walls. Even more, the beacon of Jude’s signature burned strong and true. He was inside that ghastly place.
Two horned demons in matching black tunics stood outside the arched entrance. Just as I wondered who the hell would be trying to break in, besides me, a shrieking woman tore through the open gate past the guards. One of the guards lifted a bow and notched an arrow from a quiver at his back. The other grunted something with a wave of the hand and pulled a weapon from his belt—links of barbed chain. He flung them through the air with frightening speed. The chains wrapped her legs at the knees, tripping her to the ground. The one who’d caught her grunted something unintelligible. Grabbing her by the hair, he dragged her back toward the fortress.
My gut clenched at her wailing cries as she flailed and kicked. Like an insect trying to wrestle a lion, it did her no good. Only annoyed the lion. She must’ve clawed his arm, because he dropped her suddenly, then rounded and cuffed her hard across the face. Silent and limp, she made no struggle when he again gripped her by the hair and disappeared through the gates.
“My God,” I whispered to Mira on my shoulder, nuzzling close to my hood. I couldn’t form a coherent thought that expressed the heartsickness and despair seeping into my bones. The guards weren’t to keep people out, but to keep them in.
This was hell. This fortress of pain, reeking of malice and torture. Now I knew why damned souls might prefer Lethe. Better a land of forgetfulness than a land where evil thrived, eager to inflict pain for eternity.
These demons weren’t like Garzel, the one who was taken by the soul collector, Acheron. He’d been taken as a punishment for his misdeeds. The demons I’d encountered capturing that teenager in the forest, the ones on the cliff, and the ones guarding this gate were uniformed. They held allegiance for this “master” the boy spoke of. The master ruling such a place with so many at his disposal must be a powerful being. A high demon.
I licked my dry lips, thinking of the best course of action.
“I need a distraction.” Mira clicked once with her beak and opened her wings. “Yes, but wait,” I hissed in a whisper. “He has arrows. Be careful and fly high.”
I straightened to prepare myself for the fastest run I’d ever made in
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